Card game

ABSTRACT

The game is played with up to six or 7 players but the amount can be changed based on the number of decks used. The cards are dealt to the players face up. A player wins when the dealt card matches or suits the previous card the player received. Bets are paid according to a pay-out table and a player may win a wager from having both a pair and two cards of one suit.

This application claims the benefit of provisional applications 60/997,006, filed Sep. 28, 2007; 61/001,338, filed Nov. 1, 2007 and 61/063,294, filed Feb. 2, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many games have been developed using a standard deck of cards. The standard deck of cards has four suits, with each suit having 13 cards numbered 2-10 and having a Jack, Queen, King and Ace. In addition to the standard deck of cards, there is the Pinochle deck of cards, which has two sets of 9 through ace of all four suits.

Many card games include betting, where the player plays against the dealer, other players, or simply based on the cards that are dealt to that player.

Casinos, popular throughout the world, provide a venue allowing players to bet on the many variations of card games. Players believe that with their skill and luck they can win money from the casinos. A card game must appear interesting to the player and give the impression that the player has the opportunity to win more money than is lost during wagering.

It is an object of the invention to provide a card game upon which wagers are placed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a card game which is interesting to the players.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a card game wherein the player wins or loses based on cards dealt to the player, not depending on a dealer or other player's cards.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a game which may be played with either a standard deck of cards or a Pinochle deck of cards. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the disclosure of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The game is played with up to six or 7 players but the amount can be changed based on the number of decks used. The cards are dealt to the players face up. A player wins when the dealt card matches or suits the previous card the player received. Bets are paid according to a pay-out table and a player may win a wager from having both a pair and two cards of one suit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The game is best described by detailing the sequence of events in a typical hand. In a first version, the game is played with a deck of Pinochle cards. Preferably, two decks of Pinochle cards are used and the nines may be removed. The player wins when the dealt card creates a pair or matches the suit of the previous card dealt to that player. The dealer does not play a hand and all cards are dealt face up.

Play begins with players placing down chips for ante or placing chips down for the grand slam bet, which is the chips for ante in an amount equal to or double the ante for each of the first, second, third and fourth bets in advance. The grand slam bet requires that the player win each of the four bets and is not paid out until after the player has won all four bets. If the player loses either of the first, second, third or fourth bet, the player loses the grand slam bet, the dealer removes that player's cards and the chips placed down by that player. If the player is not playing the grand slam bet, and that player is dealt a card which pairs or suits the previous card, the player wins that bet and the dealer pays as the bet is won. The player can also place a bet on the Ace of Hearts bonus bet, which pays the player for receiving the Ace of Hearts on a particular bet.

After each player has decided whether to bet ante only or the grand slam bet, each player is dealt a first card, face up. The player can fold after the first card. After the first card, the players remaining must place down a first bet, such as chips equal to or double the amount of the ante. The dealer then deals the second card to each player, face up. If a player matches or suits the first card, the player has won and receives a pay out. If the player fails to match or suit the previous card, that player has lost and that player's cards and chips are removed. A winning player has the option to quit play or continue play. If the play is continued, the player must set down another bet, such as the ante plus the amount of chips equal to or double the amount of the ante.

After the second bets have been placed, the dealer deals the third card, again face up. As before, players receiving the third card matching or suiting the second card receive a pay out whereas players that do not match or suit the second card have lost, having the cards and chips removed from the table. This process continues, with winning players deciding whether to continue or quit with the dealer dealing fourth and fifth cards with the winning players always having the option to quit or continue to play and, if continuing, placing a bet before receiving the next card.

To alter the odds of winning, the nines can be added to the deck. Nine or all 16 of the cards can be added and, in still another option, players may be paid for suiting the nines, but not pairing the nines. Players who pair the nines have lost the bet. An alternative is that any player receiving a nine loses. Obviously, this tilts the odds in favor of the house and away from the player.

A second embodiment of the game uses a standard deck of cards, but again provides pay outs to the player for pairing or matching the dealt card with the previous card of the player. At the beginning of the game, the player can chose to bet on receiving 3, 4 or 5 of a kind. Explaining, by way of example, assume there are seven players, and players 1-5 place down ante only, player 6 bets for the three play bet and player 7 places a bet for the four play bet. The dealer then deals each player a card and the players receive as follows:

Player 1 receives the Ace of Spades,

Player 2 receives the nine of Clubs,

Player 3 receives the King of Diamonds,

Player 4 receives the six of Hearts,

Player 5 receives the eight of Spades,

Player 6 receives the seven of Clubs, and

Player 7 receives the six of Diamonds.

Players can chose whether to continue to play or fold after the first card. If continuing, each player places down a second bet, except for players 6 and 7, which have placed down chips for the three or four plays, respectively, and will not know whether they have won the bet until the third or fourth card. The dealer then deals a second card, face up, with each player receiving the following:

Player 1 receives the Ace of Clubs,

Player 2 receives the nine of Spades,

Player 3 receives the two of Hearts,

Player 4 receives the two of Diamonds,

Player 5 receives the two of Spades,

Player 6 receives the three of Clubs, and

Player 7 receives the King of Diamonds.

Players 3 and 4 have lost, as they neither suited nor paired their first two cards. Players 6 and 7 have suited their Clubs and Diamonds, respectively, but must win all three or four plays to receive a pay out. Player 1 receives a pay out for pairing the Aces and player 2 receives a pay out for pairing the nines. Player 5 receives a pay out for suiting the Clubs. The pay out for suiting the first two cards may be different than for pairing the first two cards. Likewise, the pay outs may differ for pairing the numbered cards, face cards or Aces, with each receiving a different amount of pay out. Players 1, 2 and 5 receive pay outs for the winning and these players have the option whether to continue or to quit. Assuming all players continue, the dealer deals a third card to each player, face up, as follows:

Player 1 receives the 10 of Clubs,

Player 2 receives the 9 of Spades,

Player 5 receives the 8 of Spades,

Player 6 receives the Jack of Clubs, and

Player 7 receives the Jack of Diamonds.

All players are winners, but, again, players 6 and 7 have won the second play, but must win all three or four, respectively, to receive a pay out. Player 1 receives a pay out for suiting the Clubs, now having the Ace of Clubs and the ten of Clubs, as the second and third card. Player 2 receives a pay out for having three of a kind, receiving three nines, and also receives a pay out for suiting the two nine of Spades. Player 5 receives a pay out for suiting his three cards, all Spades, and having a pair of eights, his first and third card.

Players 6 and 7 must still receive additional cards before determining whether they have won. Assuming players 1, 2 and 5 continue by placing down additional bets, the dealer gives each player a fourth card as follows:

Player 1 receives the Jack of Clubs,

Player 2 receives the eight of Hearts,

Player 5 receives the three of Diamonds,

Player 6 receives the Queen of Clubs, and

Player 7 receives the three of Spades.

Player 1 wins for suiting the Jack of Clubs with the previous 10 of Clubs. Player 6 now wins the three play for winning three consecutive bets by suiting the first four cards. Player 7 has now lost, as the fourth card is a Spade and the previous three were Diamonds. Player 7 would have had to receive a fourth card and a fifth card that were Diamonds in order to receive a pay out. Players 2, 5 and 7, having lost, are done for this particular round, and player 6, having won the three play bet is also done. Therefore, only player 1 has the option of continuing. Assuming the player elects to continue and places a bet, a fifth card is dealt to the player. Assuming the player receives the Jack of Diamonds, the player wins for pairing the Jack of Diamonds with the previous Jack of Clubs.

The amount wagered, the timing and amount of bets, the pay out for each winning bet, and whether pay outs for pairs are varied depending on whether the card is a number card, a face card or Ace, can be altered as desired by the organizer of the game. Also, a player, having advanced by pairing or suiting the first two cards, may be allowed to continue by pairing or suiting each subsequent card with only the immediate preceding card or any preceding card.

While the game has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, variations and modifications would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading the disclosure of the invention. The invention encompasses such variations and modifications. 

1. A method of playing a card game, comprising dealing a first card face up to each player dealing a second card face up to each player, the player winning if the second card matches the first card by pairs or suit.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising dealing a third card to each player who matched the first and second cards, the player winning if the third card matches the second card by pair or suit.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing with a standard deck of playing cards.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing with a Pinochle deck.
 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising removing the nines from the Pinochle deck. 